Vol 16, No 4 (2018)

The article presents a review of linguocultural materials published in recent years in the scientific journal “Russian Language Studies” (in the past it was called “The Bulletin of Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia. Series: Russian and Foreign Languages Research and Teaching”). The author concentrates on the concept of “linguoculturology”, its origin, development and the main approaches to its study. The analysis of the materials published in the journal makes it possible to focus on the articles dealing with the comparative, cognitive, applied linguoculturology, linguoculturology of ethnos and subethnos. The author underlines the importance of the linguocultural approach to the analysis of the significance of the cultural code, and the specific features of the national verbalization related to the vision of the world around the linguistic personality. A number of publications deal with applied linguoculturology that is somehow connected with the culture-oriented linguistics. The author believes that it is reasonable to use a linguocultural approach in the process of writing textbooks for bilingual students and in the study of linguistic units of different levels. Additionally, this approach can help researchers identify the place and role of the Russian language in linguoculturology. The author argues that the materials presented in the journal cover a wide range of linguocultural studies and enrich linguoculturology from the point of view of theory and practice.

The actuality of the article is conditioned by the significant role of game elements in language functioning and in teaching linguistic disciplines, as well as by the importance of computer technology in modern society. The purpose of the article is to compare the logic (i.e. organization, structure) of a role-playing computer game (RPG) and communicative and research activity. The results of this comparison can be used in teaching a language and in linguistic studies. The research material includes the terms from the RPG sphere, language units and rules which are used in language activities. The research methods are observation and description, realized by the means of comparison and modeling, as well as of semiotic methods. The article analyzes semantic and structural connection between RPG elements (the personage, abilities and skills of the personage, quests, resources, research and development) and elements and patterns of communicative and research activity (communicator, language abilities and skills, the purpose of communication, language means). The functional similarity between the objects being compared on the base of universal RPG semiotics and language functioning is pointed out. It is shown how RPG logic helps to perform linguistic tasks on the example of Russian grammar categories (singular and plural forms of nouns, lexical and grammatical categories of adjectives). The author presents exercises for teaching the Russian language where pupils’ activity implicitly includes RPG logic.

The paper presents profound findings of figurative linguistic manifestation of the gastronomic code of Russian culture. Lexical and phraseological nominations representing liquid intake conceptual metaphor in Russian are considered in linguocultural and cognitive-pragmatic aspects. This study is set within the framework of the theories of linguoculture and linguistic figurativeness, cognitive theory of metaphor, and propositional and frame-based analysis of lexical semantics of verbs. The analysis offered in the paper shows how structurally different words and expressions are metaphorically motivated by the verbs pit’ (drink), khlebat’ (gulp down, drink noisily, spoon up), sosat’ (suck, suckle, draw), etc. and their derivatives, translating the system of meanings represented by the basic cognitive model “X - is Liquid Intake”. As a result the fragment of the Russian linguistic world view is described related to figurative reflection of different physical, social, psychological, mental processes and phenomena by analogy with the stated physiological processes; the conceptual model of the source domain is presented in the form of propositional and frame-based structure, the components of which are to be metaphorically interpreted; target domains including metaphorical nomination are characterized; cognitive bases for metaphorical analogues are identified; metaphorical dimensions are described in the form of cognitive schemes of images. Based on the analysis of context manifestation of figurative semantics the pragmatic potential of liquid intake metaphor is described related to the expression of speaker’s views and values towards the objects of speech. Linguocultural commentary is presented revealing cultural and historical sources of metaphorization and symbolization of liquid intake.

This article describes the implementation of the analytical project introducting the “Flipped classroom” method into teaching the Russian language in Chinese universities. The theoretical foundations of the “Flipped classroom” model are presented in the article as an innovative methodology, which the authors use in the process of teaching a foreign language to increase students’ motivation and future linguists and translators’ quality of knowledge and skills. The problematic of the article is defined by the commitment to traditional nationally conditioned methods in the class modeling and teacher-student communication in China. The relevance of the study is determined by the main methods of correcting the education stages, which allow the teacher to intensify the students’ activity not only in applying the acquired knowledge, but also in getting new knowledge and skills independently. The article analyzes the experiment conducted within the course “Grammar of the Russian Language”, which revealed that the “Flipped classroom” arouses more students’ interest to the Russian language, helps to develop their speech skills and improves their ability to use a variety of language means, releases the lecturer from long hours lectures, provides an opportunity to transform the educational process. The main directions of the “Flipped classroom” are defined, the authors’ system of technologies, particularly focused videocourses created without involving programming specialists are shown. Both positive results and problems of teaching the Russian language by Chinese students with the use of the “Flipped classroom” model are considered. Comparative characteristics and the results of traditional and innovative teaching are presented. The statistical data of the students’ survey and the diagnosis of the knowledge quality, monitoring and evaluation of teaching results are given. The article presents the experience of Russian as a foreign language teaching at the Faculty of the Russian language at Sichuan University.

The article describes the conditions and specifics of teaching Russian as a foreign language in a foreign university. The results of ascertaining experiment conducted in a polylingual group of students in the University of Strasbourg at the beginning of their second year are given. The purpose of the experiment was to diagnose the ability to create and deliver a coherent prepared and unprepared monologue, give its quantitative and qualitative analysis according to the selected criteria. Parameters for prepared and unprepared monologues are not considered separately in regulatory documents. In fact, foreign students demonstrate these types of speaking Russian at different levels. The importance of developing oral unprepared speech at the beginner stage of learning Russian, especially in learning outside the language environment is discussed in the article.